5. Crimes and Punishments

Angela's killers are convicted and sentenced. But do their punishments fit the crime? And where are they now?

Actress Julie Dove (Days of our Lives, Birdgirl), also from Princeton, Texas, shares this very personal story of how Angela's murder changed the lives of Angela’s family and the small town forever.

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Transcript

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This program contains descriptions of violence, drug use, and sexual themes.  Listener discretion is advised. 

Previously, on True Texas Crime. Oh, that poor girl. But those boys, they have ruined their lives. They have just hurt their families, and they have just ruined their lives. And they have, but it was like, one little, oh poor girl. And then it was all about these, these boys who just made a mistake and whatever. And, and I,  it was almost as if she was discounted because of the stories. 

She was talking about how she wanted to change, you know, wanted to do better. 

In previous episodes, I've talked about Angela and her life growing up in Princeton. We've heard many of her friends share fond memories. And we've learned the brutal details of her murder. The goal of this podcast has always been to explore more about the life of the victim, not the killers. But today I will be sharing the details of the initial trials and sentencing of John Shores, Rodney Kaiser, and Lee Henson. 

This is not a John Grisham movie, and I'm not Matthew McConaughey. But as you hear these stories, do me a favor, close your eyes. And imagine it was someone you love that was murdered. 

This is True Texas Crime. The Significant Life of Angela Stevens. Episode 5 Crimes and Punishments. 

The killers weren't some random group of boys that Angela went out with on July 6, 1988. Angela considered John Shores to be one of her closest friends. John was dating another one of Angela's best friends, 13 year-old Stacia Morris. Lee was not only a childhood friend of Angela, we've heard many people share that Angela considered Lee to be the love of her life. 

Rodney was friends with John and Lee, so that automatically made him a part of Angela's life. John Shores was arrested on July 21st, 1988, after verbally confessing during questioning by Sergeant Randy Norton and Deputy Sheriff Investigator Larry Denison. Having confessed, but prior to being placed under arrest,  John, along with Rodney Kaiser, voluntarily agreed to ride along with Sgt. Randy Norton and Deputy Sheriff Investigator Larry Denison to show them the field in Altoga where Angela was murdered, the path along Long Neck Road in Princeton where they dumped Angela's personal items left in the truck, And where the shotgun used in the murder was thrown by Rodney off a bridge that crossed over Lake Lavon, south of Culleoka. 

Once John returned to the Collin County Sheriff's Office after going on this outing with the officers, a warrant was issued for his arrest and he was placed in Collin County Jail.  John didn't have money for his defense, so he was appointed a public defender. Attorney David K. Haynes was assigned to handle John's case. 

John's initial bail was set at 25,000 dollars., I want to point out that within the documents provided to our podcast by the Collin County Courthouse, the terms bail and bond are being used interchangeably. From the time of his arrest in July 1988,  leading up to his assigned trial date, John had multiple hearings held on his behalf seeking a reduction in his bail to as low as 5,000 dollars. The motions were denied. 

John stated on September 15, 1988, in a handwritten application for writ of habeas corpus and or bond reduction to the judge, that under the laws of the Texas Constitution, the bond was quote, excessive and oppressive, end quote. John further added that a lower bond would allow him to secure full time employment. Which would allow him to adequately prepare for his defense as promised under the United States and Texas Constitutions.  

John, along with Rodney Kaiser and Lee Henson, filed motions to suppress their confessions. In addition, John filed a motion to suppress any evidence that was found on the field trip that he and Rodney took with the officers on July 21st, 1988. This hearing was held on November 21st, 1988 at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas. The motions were denied.  

On December 5th, 1988, John's trial date was set to begin January 9th, 1989. John's attorney made one final attempt in a hearing with the judge on December 6th, 1988 for a reduced bail. The judge came back with a ruling on December 8th, 1988 that John's bail was raised to 100,000 dollars. I've not been able to find any documentation as to why the judge increased the bail.  On December 12th, 1988, John waived his right to a trial and accepted a plea bargain agreement.  He agreed to plead guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to serve 35 years with no eligibility for parole. 

In the John Shores files provided by the Collin County Courthouse, there is a letter to the judge dated December 14th, 1988, signed by Victim Services Coordinator Peggy J. Carroll that states:  Please be advised that I have discussed the nature of the plea bargain offer with Mr. and Mrs. Jack Stevens. They are aware that you are currently considering whether to accept or reject the 35 year offer. They respectfully request that you accept the plea bargain agreement.  

However, there is also a handwritten letter to the judge from Angela's mom, Cathy Stevens, signed and dated January 21st, 1989, that includes the following: On all the pre hearings on John Shores and his sentencing when he pled guilty, why did no one let us know about it? We were in the courthouse the day before his sentencing and nobody said a word about it. 

She expresses concern that all three men will not stay in jail long. She concludes the letter with: Everything was so hush hush about Shores. We would really like to have some answers. On the Bill of Rights for Crime Victims Number 4 is what concerns us with John Shores. I hope this letter don't sound too harsh. It's just the way I feel. Thank you very much. Cathy Stevens.  

For reference, according to the Crime Victims Institute at the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University, in 1988, the Texas Victims Bill of Rights Number 4 was: the right to be informed by a peace officer concerning criminal investigation procedures and by the district attorney's office for general procedures in the criminal justice process, which includes plea negotiations. Sadly, we can't talk to Angela's mother to verify anything because she died on May 21st, 2021. 

I think this is also an appropriate time to let you know that Angela's father, Jack Stevens, was found dead in his home on July 8th, 2024, by his youngest daughter Jackie, who went to check on him because she hadn't heard from him in a few days. 

John was held in the Collin County Jail July 21st, 1988 through December 21st, 1988. He was then taken to the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. According to public records, in 2007, while incarcerated, John married a girl from Princeton. Although John's plea agreement stated no parole, I've placed multiple phone calls to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and each time I've been told he was granted parole.

John was released from the Texas Department of Corrections on February 16th, 2016. If you do the math, you immediately discover John only served 27 years and 8 months of his 35 year sentence. And according to public records, he moved to Nebraska after this release. And in 2023, public records show that he moved back to Princeton. John and his wife now live a few miles away from the field where he helped murder Angela. 

Rodney Kaiser was 19 when he was arrested on July 21st, 1988. After verbally confessing during questioning by Deputy Sheriff Larry Dennison. Rodney was the first one to break, according to Deputy Sheriff Investigator Larry Dennison. After having gotten the information from John that Lee told him he killed Angela, Deputy Sheriff Larry Dennison went back to Rodney and asked him when he found out Lee shot Angela. And Rodney said, we were all there.  We helped. 

 Having confessed and still not been arrested, Rodney, along with John, voluntarily agreed to ride along with Sgt. Randy Norton and Deputy Sheriff Investigator Larry Denison to show the location of the murder in Altoga, where Angela's personal items left in the truck were dumped in Princeton, and where he threw the shotgun in Lake Lavon in Culleoka. 

Once Rodney returned to the Collin County Sheriff's Office after going on this outing with officers, a warrant was issued, and he was arrested and placed in custody. Rodney was also given a court-appointed attorney, Mr. John L. McCraw, Jr. Rodney's  bail was set at 25,000 dollars, and he remained in the Collin County Jail until his trial. As I just shared, Rodney, along with John, filed motions to suppress their confessions in addition to any evidence that was found on the field trip he and John took with the officers. 

This hearing was held on November 21st, 1988 at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney.  The motions were denied. On January 9th, 1989, the trial of the State of Texas v. Rodney Kaiser began in McKinney, Texas at the Collin County Courthouse.  Rodney was tried for murder. Rodney did not testify at his trial.

Rodney's attorney tried to convince the jury that Rodney was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and he didn't deserve any jail time. Rodney's trial concluded on January 11, 1989. The jury took two hours and 40 minutes to find Rodney guilty. During the punishment phase of the trial, Rodney's current employer, a past employer, and a coach from the Princeton High School football team testified, urging the jury to sentence Rodney to probation. 

Mr. Johnny Morrow, who Rodney worked for through the City of Prosper, Texas in the summer of 1985 and 1986, testified that Rodney would be a good candidate for probation. Mr. Morrow's testimony included him saying, I think he would obey the probation officer anyway if he could. He went on to say, well, he was always honest as far as I was concerned. If he told me something, it was that way. 

Rodney was sentenced to 20 years in the Texas State Penitentiary. From what we discovered in our research, Rodney came very close to getting probation for Angela's murder. We obtained a copy of a letter by Daisy L. Everett, a member of the jury, on July 12, 1989, to Rodney's trial judge, the Honorable Kirk Henderson, documenting what took place in the jury room.

Here is an actor portrayal of the letter. 

Dear Judge Henderson, this letter is concerning my recent service as a juror on the Rodney Kaiser case, January 9th through the 11th. Since I was unable to stay and converse with you after the trial, I felt you should be aware of what took place in the jury room after we had found Mr. Kaiser guilty of murder. 

There were several of the jurors that refused to follow your instructions to not discuss. The state correction system had insisted this man would be better off if never sent to our state penitentiary. They also refused to sentence him and wanted to put him on probation and allow him to walk out of the courtroom. 

Their feeling was that this boy was in the wrong place at the wrong time and deserved another chance. The foreman did not maintain order, and the process became very chaotic. I have never witnessed anything so distasteful and upsetting. As a citizen of Collin County, I took an oath to uphold the law and to follow instructions given to me by the court. 

I took my job very seriously and wanted to be a citizen who was proud of my service. Our citizens have a serious problem regarding their thinking as far as a person is responsible for the acts they commit. I found this very disturbing to think we had citizens of the county who were chosen to serve as jurors and then refused to follow the direction of the judge and district attorney.

If myself and three other members of the jury Had not taken a very hard stand on 25 years or a hung jury, then Rodney Kaiser would be out on parole and basically a free man. I feel 20 years for this man was a mockery of justice and the judicial system and the people that uphold the law should not have to contend with this type of justice.

I feel you as a judge, the district attorney, and the law enforcement body of our county and state are to be commended on your repeated efforts to catch criminals, bring them to trial, hoping justice will prevail, and hoping the system doesn't fail. It seemed to me this case represented such a clear cut example of anti-society deeds. And I wish I had been more successful in pushing for a more stringent sentence. However, we were up against others who wanted to free a man they had just found guilty. I suppose it was just shocking to me to discover how hard it is to remove an obvious society problem from our society. Sincerely, Daisy L. Everett. 

Rodney served his full 20 years and was discharged from the Texas Department of Corrections on July 21st, 2008. Rodney now lives in Princeton, approximately six miles from where he threw the shotgun used to murder Angela off the bridge into Lake Lavon in Culleoka.

Lee Henson was arrested for the murder of Angela Stevens on July 21st, 1988. A warrant was obtained for his arrest based on the confessions of John and Rodney. Lee was apprehended from his place of work in Plano, Texas. Deputy Sheriff Investigator Larry Dennison said it was some kind of muffler shop. 

Although Lee was only 17 when he was arrested, in Texas, a 17 year old is considered an adult in criminal matters. So no parental consent is required for an interview. As we heard in Episode 2, Lee gave a full, detailed confession on how he prepared and carried out a plan to murder Angela on the night of July 7th, 1988. Lee's defense attorney was Mr. Curtis Glover. Just like John and Rodney, Lee's attempts to have his confession excluded from trial failed.

Lee's trial began December 5th, 1988, in McKinney, Texas, at the Collin County Courthouse. We tried to schedule interviews with some folks from Princeton that testified at Lee's trial, but we didn't find anyone willing to talk. Here's what the people who have appeared on this podcast remember about Lee's trial. 

The closest I came to any of that was, I did sit in, uh, the courthouse there in McKinney on, on one session and it was when they were showing the slides of the pictures of the remains and where they were found. 

I sat in on, I think there was one day mom wasn't over there for perhaps the trial and I sat in for just a day. I don't remember anything about details. The only thing I remember is sitting there and looking at Lee. And thinking, it just felt like he had no remorse. It just felt like there was, like, it was like a blank slate. Like, it was just a, an I don't care. And, and I just couldn't  reconcile it. I couldn't make it make sense. Like, I think what I wanted to see was someone sitting there going, Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. This is terrible. I should have never, and it was just, it was very cold, very cold. 

The district attorney focused his case on Lee's motive to kill Angela was because he thought Angela was a narc. 

I don't know if anybody's talked about this or not, but the story, now this is the story, this is hearsay, I wasn't there. But the story is that that's the reason he murdered her. Is because they were using hard drugs, meth, and things like that down in that creek bottom where he murdered her, and she was going to tell on him. 

Did you know or hear anything about a narc attending our school?  Like an undercover police officer enrolling in school and being a part of the school population?

I think that was always floated as a scare tactic, and it probably could have been floated from the Principal, but I don't know. Honestly, our town was so small. We would have known, uh, you always heard that. I don't, I mean, it was, I don't ever believe it. 

I remember there being some talk of that, but no one like really knew who it was. And I think cause of that, I think he was paranoid. 

This might have been a rumor, but according to the people that knew him, Lee took the narc talk very seriously. Many former students from Princeton High School testified that Lee had said he wanted to kill Angela and that he was concerned she was going to narc on him. Lee's attorney, Mr. Glover, zeroed in on Lee not doing or saying any of the things he'd been accused of. 

Lee denied making statements to anyone about wanting to kill Angela or that she was a narc.  

Mr. Glover in court openly accuses Deputy Sheriff Larry Dennison of helping Rodney and John put it off on Lee.  

Lee's reasoning for being with Angela the night of the murder was that John wanted them to go look at a field where some marijuana was growing. Lee's explanation for only having partial memories of the night was that he was on drugs. Many, he said, that were provided by Angela.  A note I want to add is that the autopsy report, which is part of the evidence of the trial, did not indicate any traces of drugs or alcohol found in Angela's remains.  The following is an actor portrayal of select portions of Lee's testimony for the defense. 

Directing your attention to around July 6th, the date that is in question here, and in the morning of the 7th, I will ask you to tell the jury. How that day started out for you. What you remember about it? If you do.

I am a, I remember after waking up, I had taken some methamphetamine, which is referred to as crank. And up until after that point, I don't recall anything up until where I, uh, I had met John Shores that day. And, um, He had came, come over and, and he asked me if I, if I wanted some drugs that night. And I said, yeah. And he said, we will have to get in touch with Angela. I said, okay. So, so we, he asked me to call her, which I did, and we'd arranged a meeting or something like that around her house. 

Do you remember what time all this was happening?  

It was, uh, I guess sometime in the afternoon. I don't know. 

Okay. And you were with John Shores? Yes, sir. 

Where did, who was in transportation, providing transportation for this? 

We were in my truck. 

Did he come to your house or did you go to his house? 

Um, uh, I think I went to pick him up.

Okay. Do you remember what went on at his house? 

I don't know, sir.  

What is the next thing that you remember about the events of that day? 

Uh, after we had talked to her and everything, we, she said, um, that he knew a way we could get some money and I asked him how and he said that his stepdad, I believe it is, he said, He would pay him some money if he would kill this cat or something or another that lived next door and was in their trash or something like that. And he asked if he could borrow the shotgun from my house and I said he could. 

Was the shotgun that he was referring to in plain view in your room? 

Yes, sir. 

Had he seen it in there? 

Yes.  

Tell the jury what he said about it. 

He just said that would be, that that was the way to get the money to use a gun and he asked if he could borrow that gun and I said he could. 

Was it your intention to return it there, or what? 

Yes, sir. 

What was done in that connection that you remember?  

I don't understand the question. 

About the gun. What was done concerning the gun? 

I went into the house, and while I was speaking to Bill Chandler, he got the gun and put it in my truck. 

Do you remember what time all this was going on?

It was sometime in the afternoon. 

What was your state, as far as you had indicated that you had taken methamphetamine that day? Crank. Had you taken anything else since you had been with Mr. Shores? 

Um, not, not that I recall. 

Okay. Are the events of that day totally in your mind, or do you remember everything that transpired that day?

Um, just parts of what happened that day. 

Why is that? 

Well, just the fact that I was under the influence of methamphetamine.  

Okay. What is the next thing that you remember, if you do remember, about the events of that day?  

Um, we were at, uh, Angela's house and I remember them, they were getting into the truck, John and Angela. 

What was your state of mind at that time? 

Um, you know, just high or whatever, just, just passed out, I guess.  

Okay. 

And, uh, she got into the truck and it said something that she had methamphetamine and mescaline.  

She said she had that? 

Yes, she did.  

Did that get your attention? 

Yes, sir.  

Did you ever, uh, were you interested in that?

Yes. 

Did you want some of it?  

Yes, sir. 

Did you ultimately get some of it?  

Later on that night.  

Did Angela frequently have drugs?  

Um, well, if she didn't get, have it, she knew where, where she could get it. 

Go on. What happened next?  

Um, we, we got out there and we were all out in the truck and we had a flashlight and they were walking around apparently looking for some marijuana and… 

What were you doing?

Well, I was following them, following behind them. 

Okay. 

And, and at one point, Shores said he had to go back to the truck to get some cigarettes and while he was doing that, Kaiser still had the flashlight and was apparently looking for some marijuana. 

After a while, Shores came up to me and he had a gun in his hand and he said, I'm gonna walk her around or something like that and I want you to, you know, do away with her, shoot her. At that point he gave me the gun and I went and I hid in some trees or some weeds.  

What were you thinking about?  

I was thinking about putting the gun up and going home.  

Okay. 

And so while I was sitting there, he come walking around and kept talking real loud or something or another, because she was still next to him or hanging onto his shirt. And so after after they walked by I took the gun and I was gonna put it in the truck and they walked around or she walked around and seeing that apparently I had the gun and I threw the gun down to keep her from seeing it. She got in the truck and started saying something about wanting to go home and I told Shores that I wanted to go home because I wasn't feeling good.

How were you feeling?

I was starting to get upset stomach again, and I was, I was starting to hallucinate a little bit. 

Okay.

And, um, we were sitting there and all arguing whether or not we should go home or sit out there and look for the marijuana and Shores, he said, you know, for me to get over there and drive to take her home. And Shore said if I did, he was going to whoop my butt or something like that if I tried to, so I didn't do anything because of the fact that the state of mind I was in, I wouldn't know what would have happened if we would have gotten into a fight. And we were sitting there and the last thing I remember, uh, was, uh, we, we were, uh, I was in the truck in the driver's seat and I was sitting out there and I seen Angela laying out in the field. 

Okay.  

Were things coming and going or do you have a full train of thought as to all these events? What was your state of mind? 

Oh, just coming and going, I guess.

Okay. 

There has been introduced here, Lee, a statement that Mr. Denison has written out indicating that these were things that you told him at the time that he arrested you on the 21st of July. You have heard that statement, and you have had an opportunity to read it here in court, have you not? 

Yes, sir. 

Okay. 

Now these remarks that are made here, tell the jury, if you will, how that was handled in his office. 

Uh, he, he brought me in and he, um, told me that the other two had been broughten in. So, John Shores and Rodney Kaiser had been brought in and he began telling me the story of what happened that night. 

How did he indicate he knew that? 

Through Rodney Kaiser and John Shores. 

Okay. And what did he say to you in that regard? 

He told me that it would be better on me if I cooperated with him and signed a statement and that things might go better on me in court or whatever. 

Did he indicate to you that he felt that you were implicated in this matter? 

No, I don't understand the question. 

That you were involved?  

Uh, yes, he did. 

Okay. 

How'd you respond to that? 

I just went through and he, um, began questioning me about it. That the things I mostly did, I just nodded to parts that I know.  

That you felt that perhaps were the case? 

Yes. 

Okay.  

He indicates in this statement that you said that you took the gun and you shot her, were those your words to him?

Okay. 

No, sir.  

How did he indicate that he learned that? 

Through Shores and Kaiser. That they had stated that you shot her? 

Yes, sir. 

Do you feel that you did? 

No, sir. 

Are the events of that night fully clear in your mind? 

No, sir. 

December 7th, 1988,  Lee was found guilty of murder, and sentenced to 75 years. After 30 years and two months, Lee was granted parole in 2018 and allowed to move to Mississippi where he had family. According to WTAV News on Monday, October 18th, 2022, during a traffic stop in Water Valley, Mississippi, 51-year-old Lee Henson was arrested for trafficking fentanyl, cocaine and possession of a gun by a felon. 

According to a news release from Yalobusha County Sheriff Jeremaine Gooch, deputies seized two ounces of cocaine, 900 fentanyl pills disguised as counterfeit oxycodone pills, two guns,  and 4200 dollars in cash. The arrest was the result of a year-long investigation that included help from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Tallahatchie County Sheriff's Department. 

Lee was sent to the Yalobusha County Jail in Water Valley, Mississippi on October 18th, 2022. 

On April 18th, 2023, Lee was indicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi on seven counts, including one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, five counts on intent to sell, distribute, and dispense a controlled substance. One count on use of a firearm during the intent to sell, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance. And one count for felon in possession of a firearm. 

Lee has been in federal custody since April 25th, 2023. Lee signed a plea bargain with the U.S. prosecutor on April 16th, 2024. One point of interest in the agreement was that Lee admitted he had been distributing drugs in Mississippi since December, 2021. 

Lee will face sentencing for count one in six of his federal charges on August 27th, 2024 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. In a phone call on August 13th, 2024 with the United States Attorney's Office in Oxford, Mississippi, I was told once Lee is sentenced in Mississippi, then Lee would have to serve time for his federal charges there. 

That same day, I spoke with the Texas Department of Pardons and Paroles to confirm Lee's federal prison time will take precedence over him facing consequences for a violation of his parole terms in Texas. I do think it's safe to say, Lee won't be leaving prison for a very long time. 

On the next episode of True Texas Crime.  

I remember Lee as a kid growing up into a teenager. Um, I didn't know him very well, but Angie told me everything. Um, when she was missing, I went to his house. I didn't think he had done anything to her. I just thought maybe he took her to his mother's in Quinlan because Angie was pregnant. 

True Texas Crime, the significant life of Angela Stevens is a North End Burgers production. 

Recorded, hosted, and written by me, Julie Dove. 

Kari Southard Hargrave is the Executive Producer. 

Assistant Story Editor, Brandon Burkhart.  

Voice of Daisy Everett by Heather McPhaul. 

Voice of Lee Henson by Michael Reiser.

Voice of Attorney Curtis Glover by Jeremy Cohenour.  

Studio recording by Mike DeLay, Real Voice LA. 

Sound design and mixing by Real Voice LA. 

Additional recording by JBM Studios. 

Opening music, “The Colonel,” courtesy of Zachariah Hickman. 

Closing music, “Night in the Prairie,” courtesy of Derek and Brandon Feichter. 

Special thanks to Jackie Stevens Tower. Amy Harper Fritz, Deanna McDonald, and Jennifer Rich.

The views expressed by this podcast host and participants are solely that of the person speaking and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer, company, institution, or other associated parties.